By Amy Underdown, London, UK

What do Buddha statues represent? The easy answer is… they represent the Buddha. However, if you have found yourself on this article, then you are likely looking for a deeper understanding of the meanings behind Buddha statues. If not, then you’re welcome and thank you for joining us!

At the heart of the matter, Buddha statues represent a chance to increase your personal spirituality and involve yourself in the Dharma of Buddhism. They are an opportunity to bring sanctity into the home and an encouragement of meditation. This may seem like an awful lot for one artefact to contain and communicate, and yet statues of Buddha are the gift that keep on giving.

There are numerous different positions of both body and hands that define which type of Buddha is being depicted. This may sound complex, but generally each body position is accompanied by a recognisable hand position (known as a mudra). The combination of these two things helps us see what a Buddha statue can do for us spiritually. A Teaching Buddha, for example, is fairly self- explanatory and helps us learn more about ourselves as Buddhists and meditators. The same can be said for Medicine Buddhas, which encourage greater health. However, A Calling the Earth to Witness Buddha throws this easy naming method out of the water… not to worry, as in our article The Meaning’s Behind the Buddha’s Positions we have compiled a name by name description of what each Buddha represents so that you can identify the perfect Buddha for you.